China’s Global Times newspaper has twice in recent days spoken of the potential of open war with the United States, and asserted that China “will win” such a war. The editorials indicate both that China has strict red lines it will not allow crossed; and, that U.S. representatives can no longer talk about one or another area of “cooperation” (such as “climate change”) but must change the overall confrontation to a general cooperative policy, or risk all-out war.
A Sept. 8 Global Times editorial, “China Won’t Accept. U.S. Hegemonic Acts in South China Sea,” called for a direct and symmetrical response to a U.S. guided-missile destroyer having passed close by a Chinese-occupied reef in the South China Sea after China had demanded prior notification of war vessels entering that sea. The response would be for the PLA Navy to sail equally close to Alaska or to U.S. island possessions in the Pacific. And if this led to war, the paper said, “China will win.” (https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1233756.shtml) In an article on Sept. 14, “PLA Warships Reportedly Sail Near Alaska.” “the daily’s defense reporter wrote: “A website affiliated with the U.S. Defense Department reported on Sunday [Sept. 12] that a naval flotilla of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), featuring one of China’s most powerful warships, recently sailed in international waters near Alaska. However, the report was deleted for unknown reasons on Monday.”
The Sept. 12 editorial “Teach the U.S., Taiwan Island a Real Lesson if They Call for It,” responded with outrage to the report that the United States “is seriously considering a request from the Island of Taiwan to change the name of its Mission in the U.S. capital from ‘Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office’ to ‘Taiwan Representative Office.’ “ Unsigned editorials in Global Times are understood to represent the views of its governing body, China’s Central Committee. (https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1234046.shtml)
The editorial notes that White House Asia advisor Kurt Campbell has backed the request, that the United States is now assessing the risks of such a change, and that the issue has already had strong reactions in the island.
This is not a straw in the wind. Global Times reports that senior U.S. “national security” officials facilitated face-to-face talks with representatives of the island of Taiwan on Sept. 10 in Annapolis, Maryland. Both news items were revealed after a telephone call between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping.
If the U.S. and Taiwan do make the name change, Global Times warns, “it will mean Washington’s basic abandonment of its ‘one China policy,’ which will constitute a significant change around the Taiwan question.” The editorial continues that Lithuania previously said it would set up an office on Taiwan with the name “Taiwan Representative Office,” and Taiwan will reciprocate with an office in Lithuania using the same name. If the U.S. does this, “it will have a widespread demonstration effect on its allies and bring about a wave of name changes of the island’s mission in these countries.”
The U.S. knows this is a serious matter, but there is “really nothing to test,” Global Times says; if America renames the island’s mission “Taiwan Representative Office,” it is likely that China will recall its ambassador as its “ ‘lowest diplomatic reaction.’ ... Safeguarding the bottom line of the one-China principle means we have to deter the U.S. attempt to cross the line. Diplomatic measures are obviously not enough. If the U.S. and the Taiwan island change names, they are suspected of touching the red line of China’s anti-Secession Law, and the Chinese Mainland will have to take severe economic and military measures. It is anticipated that the Taiwan army will not dare to stop the PLA fighter jets from flying over the Island,” incorporating Taiwan’s airspace into China’s.
